Poinsettias - "The Christmas Star"

Poinsettias

So, is it a flower or not?
Probably the most well-known Christmas flower, a poinsettia isn't really a "flower" at all.  And while some folks will tell you a poinsettia has colored leaves, that's not exactly right, either.  The part of a poinsettia that turns color is called a bract, and it forms at the tip of the stem just under the actual flowering part of the plant.  The actual flowers are very small and yellow. You'll find them at the very center of the bracts.

How to choose a good poinsettia
When you pick out your poinsettia, look for green and healthy leaves.  If the leaves are crooked or spotted, or if the bracts are crinkled, don't take it home.  It may have a leaf virus.

How do I keep a poinsettia and make it bloom again?
Most people discard their poinsettias once the flowering cycle is finished, but you can keep yours as a houseplant year round if you like.  Water about once a week rather than a little bit everyday. 
To help your poinsettia bloom again for Christmastime, start to manipulate it in the fall.  Leave your plant in natural light no more than 12 hours a day.  For about one month, cover the poinsettia with a black plastic bag from about 7pm until 7:30am, and it should start to develop color.

Are cheaper department store poinsettias just as good as fresh-from-the-greenhouse plants?
Let's be honest; if all you want is a pretty plant for a month that you plan to toss to the curb with the Christmas tree, then economy may be your best option.  
But for a beautiful, lush plant that will stay healthy and attractive for a longer display (and possibly kept for years), the controlled environment of a greenhouse is necessary.  All of the poinsettias sold at K&W Greenery in Janesville are grown at the K&W greenhouse in Janesville.  Our plants are carried from one indoor area to another until it's chosen by you and carefully wrapped for transport to your home.  Your vibrant Christmas flower is grown, raised, cared for, and sold by the same caring experts.  We wouldn't dream of doing any less.

Cyclamen - The "Other" Christmas Flower

If you're looking for an alternative to poinsettias for Christmas, consider the Cyclamen!  These pretty blooms come in a variety of pastel colors on a bed of rich, green, heart-shaped leaves.  Plus, they'll flower until Easter!

Cyclamen is easy to care for.  Place it in a cool, bright location in your home.  The greens and flowers can burn if they get too warm, say, in a window with direct sunlight.  Water your plant a couple times a week through the saucer at the bottom.  The goal is to keep the tuber dry while allowing roots to soak up the water.  Don't let excess water sit in the saucer.

Like the poinsettia, cyclamen is most beautiful at Christmastime.  Some folks discard it after blooming season; but it is a perennial, and if well cared-for, your cyclamen can flower over and over.  Deadhead wilted blooms and greens so others can flourish.  Your plant can be moved to a cool spot outdoors in the summer as long as you remember to bring it back inside as temperatures cool because cyclamen will not survive frost.

As always, contact K&W Greenery in Janesville, WI to talk to those who know! 608-752-8917

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Winterizing Climbing and Tree Roses

Here are some strategies for protecting climbing roses:

1 - Leave them and do nothing, but be aware that you may have some tip dieback.  You will not have great success with all climbers.  Ramblin' Red, Seven Sisters, and William Baffin have performed well.

2 - Detach the bush from the climbing structure.  depending on the woodiness of the oldest canes, bend to ground level, tie, and/or pin the canes to the ground and mulch.

3 - Detach the bush from the climbing support.  Wrap it loosely with burlap.  Stuff gently with desired protective material.  Gently reattach the burlapped plant to the climbing support.

4 - Minnesota Tip:  With older woodier canes on established climbers, partially dig up one side of the bush until the plant can be tipped closely enough to ground level to be covered in mulch.


Some strategies for protecting tree roses include:

1 - Because the graft is up near the top of the standard/trunk, tree roses will not survive unless they are tipped to ground level and heavily mulched.  Exception is Polar Joy Tree Rose, hardy through a Wisconsin winter without tipping.

2 - Tree roses can also be potted up, allowed to go dormant in a dim unheated attached garage.  Diminish the amount of water the plant receives until it goes dormant and then water when needed, until weather begins to warm in the spring.  Re-acclimate the rose to outside weather in spring before replanting it.

Winterizing Roses (How to Do It)

How do you winterize roses, and what materials do you need?

·  Mound at least the lower third with the desired protecting material. The entire plant can be mounded if you wish.  You can use soil (remember to keep it thawed until you're ready to use it), compost, shredded leaves (oak leaves must be shredded, maple leaves compact too much and stay too wet), mulch (shredded hardwood), or straw.

·  Collar Install and fill the collar with your chosen protective material.  You could use a rose cone with the top cut off.  The advantage: Holds protective material in place at the base of the rose bush.

·  Cage  Create a cage to surround the bush 12" beyond branch tips.  Use chicken wire and re-rod to construct your cage.  Gently fill the finished cage with desire protecting materials.  The advantage:  Allows temperature variation and air flow while offering protection for extreme temps, animals, and wind and sun damage.

·  Rose Cones  Best used with top cut off, like a collar (see above).  Otherwise, with the top still on, it'll restrict air flow, subject your plant to too much heat, and inhibit water intake.

As always, you can talk to the ones who know about plants and gardening at K&W Greenery in Janesville, Wisconsin.  Call during regular business hours: (608) 752-8917
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Winterizing Roses (When To Act)

Early fall is a perfect time to check each rose bush to determine whether it was planted at the correct depth.  Roses planted too high are, for the most part, unlikely to survive even a mild winter.
The graft union must be planted 4-5" below soil grade in order to protect it from temperature extremes.  If you find a rose bush which is planted up too high, gently dig it up and replant at the correct depth.

Winterize when the ground freezes.  

This could be mid-December.  Let Mother Nature be your guide.

Any sooner, and you may be encouraging critters to set up a warm, winter home with your roses.

The time to act is when:

• the ground is frozen
• no new growth appears on your roses
• the plant has lost most or all of its leaves
• night temperatures are at or below freezing routinely

You can protect your roses with several tools.  Have your choice of supplies ready to go:

• Mounding:  soil (remember to keep it thawed until you're ready to use it), compost, shredded leaves (oak leaves must be shredded, maple leaves compact too much and stay too wet), mulch (shredded hardwood), or straw.
• Collar:  You can use a rose cone with the top cut off. 
• Cage  Use chicken wire and re-rod to construct your cage. 
• Rose Cones  

Next:  Instruction on how best to use the above to protect your rose bushes.

Winterizing Roses (Pruning)

Early to mid-fall is not a good time to prune roses.  Why?

• Pruning stimulates new growth.
• Pruning early does not necessarily save you the trouble of pruning again in the spring.

Late fall or when roses are completely dormant is a good time to prune.  Why?

• For the tidy gardener, it gets the garden cleaned up now for spring.
• Late season growth can be taken back, so roses aren't "leggy" all winter.
• For most folks, it's when there's the most time to prune.

Early spring is also a good time to prune roses.  Why?

• Spring pruning stimulates new growth.
• You can shape your plant.
• You can prune off any dieback.

As always, you can talk to the friendly staff at K&W Greenery during regular business hours. 

(608) 752-8917

Winterizing Roses (Preparation and End of Season)

Winterizing your roses using the tips and tricks explored here will help give your rose(s) a good chance of surviving a harsh winter.

Why should you winterize your roses to begin with?  It offers protection and insulation:

• Protection from sun and wind damage, from chewing animals, and from pests which may try to make a winter home in or on the plant.
• Insulation against wildly fluctuating and/or extreme temperatures.
• Limits the temperature fluctuation with the freeze and thaw cycles throughout the winter months.

Keep in mind that a healthy rose is a hardier rose.
Apply Bayer All-in-One (available at K&W Greenery) throughout the growing season.  This is a fertilizer, insect control, and disease control "all in one" application, and it should not be used on Rugosa roses.  We recommend applications on April 15, June 1, and July 15.  You'll be best served to not use it any later than September first.
By August 30th, you should stop removing spent blooms (deadheading).  Allowing the hips to form helps the rose to "slow down" in preparation for dormancy.

As the season draws to a close:

• Rake up and destroy fallen rose leaves.  Black Spot and other leaf diseases can over-winter with your roses.
• DO NOT prune except for dead, injured, or diseased canes.  Pruning stimulates new growth that will be too weak to survive winter.
• Use Mother Nature, not the calendar as your cue to begin protection using your method of choice.  Rarely take protective steps before Thanksgiving, usually closer to Christmas.

In following posts, we'll talk about when and how to prune as well as when and how to protect your cherished roses.

For answers anytime, call the helpful K&W Greenery staff at 608-752-8917 during regular business hours.